Juvenile driver fails to yield on left turn, leading to 3-vehicle crash involving off-duty police officer

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A juvenile driver making a left turn onto Brigham Road Tuesday evening failed to yield to an oncoming pickup truck, leading to a three-vehicle collision, police said.

Firefighters use hydraulic tools to extricate a passenger at the scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

St. George Police officer Jonathan McInnes said the incident was reported shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road.

“A black Ford truck that was traveling southbound on River Road, entered the intersection here at Brigham, and a white minivan, made a left-hand turn in front of the black truck,” McInnes told St. George News. “They couldn’t stop in time. The black truck collided with the minivan, sending the minivan into another vehicle that was stopped to make a left turn, a white Chevy truck.”

The minivan, a Chevrolet Venture, was occupied by two male juveniles. Responding firefighters used hydraulic tools to extricate the boy in the front passenger seat. He was transported by Gold Cross Ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center for treatment for cuts, bruises and other injuries believed to be potentially serious but not life-threatening.

Meanwhile, the minivan’s young driver, who did not appear to have any outward signs of injury, was also taken to the hospital in a different Gold Cross ambulance as a precaution.

“They took them in to make sure they were OK,” McInnes added. “They didn’t appear to be seriously injured, but time will tell.”

None of the three occupants of the other two vehicles involved – the adult male driver of the black Ford pickup and two men in the white Chevy pickup – reported any injuries. The three men, along with other eyewitnesses to the crash, remained at the scene while officers from St. George Police Department and deputies from Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated and worked to clear the wrecked vehicles from the road.

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

McInnes said the investigation will be turned over to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office because an off-duty St. George Police officer was the driver of the Ford pickup.

“One of our off-duty officers was involved,” McInnes said. “He was driving the black truck that collided with the minivan. Because of that, the sheriff’s (office) takes over just so there’s no conflict of interest there. We appreciate them doing that for us. “

Both the Ford pickup and the Chevrolet minivan sustained heavy damage, with multiple airbags deployed in both vehicles. They were eventually towed from the scene.

The Chevrolet pickup that was struck in the secondary collision received only minor front-end damage and was still operable. Its owner was able to drive it away.

Firefighters from St. George Fire Department assisted with the cleanup, including taking care of broken glass and vehicle parts, in addition to oil and antifreeze spills on the roadway.

Traffic in the area was impacted for an hour or more as crews worked to clear the scene.

No citations had yet been issued at the time of this report, but the incident remains under investigation, authorities said.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Firefighters use hydraulic tools to extricate a passenger at the scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Firefighters clean up the scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Firefighters clean up the scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Firefighters clean up the scene of a collision involving a black Ford pickup and a white Chevrolet minivan at the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road, with a third vehicle also receiving minor damage, St. George, Utah, Dec. 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

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About the Author

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News. He covered news, features, and sports as a part-time reporter for the Times-Independent, Moab's weekly community newspaper, and has contributed stories and photos to various other media outlets. He also taught high school English, journalism, and computer classes for 12 years, and was the school's yearbook and student newspaper adviser. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters, and also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.